Brakehead arrangement



March 13, 1951 W. L. SCHLEGEL, JR

BRAKEHEAD ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 2,545,213 BRAKEHEAD ARRANGEMENT Walter L. Schlegel, Jr., Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 5, 1945, Serial No. 603,368

My invention relates to railway brake equipment and more particularly to a device for yieldingly maintaining a brake head in a desired position on an associated supporting member.

The general object of my invention is to design a device such as above described in which friction means carried by the brake head are actuated into engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of a brake beam trunnion, connecting the head to an associated hanger, by springs compressed between the brake head and the friction means.

Another object of my invention is to design a brake head balancing device wherein the device is maintained in assembled relationship without the use of a threaded member, such as a nut, commonly utilized to achieve the desired spring pressure in order to obtain the necessary friction.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means associated with the brake head and cooperating with the brake beam restricting relative pivotal movement between the brake head and hanger within limits permitting the brake head to adjust itself to the periphery of an associated rotatable member to be braked.

Still another object of my invention is to interlock the before-mentioned friction means with the brake head in such manner as to eliminate bending stresses on the springs as the head rotates on the brake beam;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention; 7

Figure 2 is a rear elevation, taken from the left, as seen in 'Figure 1';

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the vertical plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially in the horizontal plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Describing my invention in detail, the brake head, generally designated 2, comprises a front wall 4 formed with spaced end lugs 6, 6, and spaced intermediate lugs 8, 8, all of said lugs being formed and arranged for connection in conventional manner to an associated brake shoe. The front wall 4 is formed with the inboard and outboard side walls l8 and I2, receiving therebetween a brake hanger [4 having at its upper end a bushed opening [6 for pivotal connection to an associated supporting truck member.

A brake beam, generally designated [8, is provided for pivotally interconnecting the brake head and hanger, and for this purpose, comprises a hushed trunnion end 28 extending through 19 Claims. (Cl. 188-2211) bushed openings 22 and 24 in the inboard and outboard walls 18 and I2 of the head 2 and through an aligned bushed opening 26 in the hanger, thereby affording a pivotal connection between the brake head and hanger. The trunnion 28 is formed at its outer end with an elongated diametrically arranged opening or slot 28 extending therethrough for a purpose hereinafter described.

The brake head balancing device comprises friction means for yieldingly resisting rotation of the brake head on the trunnion 28 of the brake beam comprising the boltlike members generally designated 38, 38 each having a friction shoe or block 32 in frictional engagement as at 34 with the cylindrical perimeter of the bushed trunnion 28, each of said shoes 32, 32 havin an opening therein for the reception of the shank 36 of the associated member 38 and being fixed thereto adjacent the end thereof by welding as at 38 to thereby form an integral portion of the member 38, the end 36 of each member 38 extending within the opening 28 in the trunnion 28 of the brake beam'and the opposite threaded end 39 of each member 38 extending through an opening in one of the associated spring seat lugs 48, 48 integrally formed with the outboard wall I2 of the brake head 2. Sleeved over the shank 36 of each member 38 is a coil spring 42 having one end thereof in engagement as at 44 with one of the spring seat lugs 48, 48 on the outboard wall I2 of the brake head 2 and having engagement at the other end thereof as at 46 with the friction shoe 32 of the associated member 38, said springs 42, 42 being under compression between the respective lugs 48, 48 of the brake head and the friction shoes 32, 32 and thereby urging the shoes into frictional engagement with opposite sides of the trunnion 28 of the brake beam 18 and the ends 36, 36 of the members into the transverse opening 28 in the brake beam trunnion 28.

It will be apparent that by this arrangement the brake head is yieldably and adjustably mounted upon the brake beam trunnion. As the springs 48, 48 actuate the friction shoes 38, 38 with substantially equal pressure into frictional engagement with opposite sides of the trunnion end of the brake beam, the brake head will be maintained in an upright vertical position on the brake beam in the event of wear occurring on the engaged surfaces of the brake head and the brake beam trunnion whereby the brake shoe, carried by the brake head, will be engaged with the 3 periphery of the wheel, or other member to be braked, along complementary brakin surfaces.

The brake head is locked on the brake beam against lateral displacement by the disposition of the ends 36, 36 of the members 3B, 30 within the elongated opening 28 of the brake beam. Rotation of the brake head on the beam trunnion 2B is also restricted within limits permitting thebrake head' to adjust itself to the periphery of the associated wheel by this arrangement by abutment of the ends 36, 36 of the mem bers 3B, 30 with the margins of the elongated.

opening 28 in the brake beam trunnion, and it may be noted that, in the event that one' or both of the springs 40, 40 breaks in service, this: arrangement will prevent excessive rotation of the brake head about the trunnion 2 to a point at which it might be knocked off the beam and thereby create the danger of derailment;

It may be noted that th interlock between the lugs 43, 4E! and the respective members 39-, 39 prevents bending stresses on the springs 42, 42

. as" the head is rotated on the beam against the frictional resistance caused by the engagement of the beam. and the shoes 32', 32. Furthermore, as above noted, the head 2 is prevented from walking off the end of the beam by engagement of the members 39', 39 with the outboard margin of the slot 28.

In the assembly of the brake arrangement described, each of the boltlike members as, 33 may have nuts, one of which is shown at 3, threaded on the ends38', 38 thereof to compress the springs 42 42 sufiiciently between the lugs 40, 40 on the brake head and the friction shoes of the: members 30, 3G, to permit the insertion of the trunnion end between the members 30, 39. The brake head" and brake hanger are then positioned with their openings in alignment for receiving. the trunnion of the brake beam and thereafter the nuts-- as may be backed oh the boltlike' members 30} 39 to position the ends 36, 36 of the latter within the opening 28' in the brake beam trunnion and the friction shoes 3-2, 32 in engagement with the cylindrical-perimeter of the brakebeam trunmen.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shownwhich is merely by Way of illustration'and:

not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in th art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a brake head balancing device, a brakehead having spaced inboard and outboard walls,- a support member therebetween, a cylindrical pivot member extending through complementary aligned openings in said Walls and said support member, spring seat lugs on said outboard wall at opposite sides of said pivot member, a pair of boltlike members extending through respective lugs and into an elongate transverse opening in said pivot member and each comprising an integral friction block between the ends thereof in complementary engagement with th cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member, and a coil spring sleeved over each boltlike member and com pressed between the associated friction block and lug.

2. In a brake head balancing device, a brake .head member having spaced inboard and outboard walls, a support member therebetween,. a brak beam with a cylindrical trunnion extending through said members and afiording a pivotal connection therebetween, spring seat lugs on said outboard Wall, a boltlike member extending through each lug and into an elongate trans verse opening in said trunnion and comprising an integral friction block in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said trun nion, and resilient means sleeved over each of said boltlike members and; compressed between the associated friction block andlug.

3. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head member having spaced inboard and outboard Walls, asupport member therebetween, a brake beam with a cylindrical trunnion extending through said members and affording a pivotal connectiontherebetween, a pair of boltlike members at opposite sides of said trunnion each extending into arr elongate transverse opening in said trunnion, lugs integral with said outboard Wall sleeved over said boltlike members, friction blocks integral with said boltlike members and in complementary engagement with said trunnion, and resilient means compressed between said lugs: and said blocks.

4. In a brake. head balancing device, a brake head comprising spaced inboard and. outboard walls, a hanger extending between saidwa'lls, and

a beam with a cylindrical trunnion extending through aligned openings in said Walls and hanger, a boltlike membenextending' into an elongate transverse opening'in said trunnion, a lug integral with said outboard wall sleeved; over said boltlik member, said: member comprising a friction block integral therewith in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said trunnion, and resilient :means sleeved over said member and compressed betweensaid friction block and" said lug.

5. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head, a support therefor, a brake beam having a cylindrical trunnion extending through and pivo'tally interconnecting the same, spring abutment means on said head at the outboard side thereof,

friction means in complementary engagement with. said trunnion, elongate members extending through respective abutments means and friction.

means. and. into a transversely extending opening in sa-id'trunnion, each memb rbeing fiXEd to the associated. friction meansya-nd resilient means sleeved over each member and compressed between the associated friction. means and. abutment means.

6 In a brake: head balancing device, a. brake head, a support therefor, a brak beam having a cylindrical: trunnion extending through said head and support and pivotally interconnecting the same, spaced lugs on said head at the outboard side thereof, a pair of boltlikemembers extending through said lugs and into an elongate transverse opening in said trunnion, friction means integral with said members and ineornplementary engagement with oppositesides of said trunnion, and resilient means compressed between each lug and the associated frictionme-ans.

7. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head, a support therefor, a beam having a cylindrical trunnion. extending through and pivotally interconnecting said brake head and support, spring abutment means on said head atthe out board side thereof, elongate members extending through respective abutment means and into an elongate transverse opening in said trunnion, friction means integral with said members and in complementary engagement with said trun nion,. and resilient. means compressed between and reacting against each of said abutment means and the adjacent friction means.

8. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head, a, support therefor, a cylindrical pivot member extending through and pivotally interconnecting said head and support,'friction means in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member, spring abutment means on said head, an elongate member fixed to said friction means'and extending radially outward of said pivot member through said spring abutment means and radially inward into an elongate transverse opening in said pivot member, and resilient means compressed between said friction means and said abutment means. v

9. In a brak head balancing device, a brake head, a cylindrical pivot member extending through said head, friction members at opposite sides of said pivot member in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member, spring seat means on said head, and resilient means compressed between respective spring seat means and said friction members, each of said friction members having means integral therewith extending into an elongate transverse opening in said pivot member and through the associated resilient means and spring seat means. 7

10. In a brake head balancing device, a, brake head, a cylindrical pivot member extending through said head, friction members in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member outboard of said head, spring seat means on said head, resilient means compressed between said spring seat means and said friction members, and means integral with each of said friction members extending through the associated resilient means and spring seat means and'directly engageable with said pivot member for preventing lateral movement, and limiting rotation, of said head on said pivot member, said means and friction members being movable in accordance with said head.

11. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head, a cylindrical pivot member extending through said head, a friction member in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member outboard of said head, spring seat means on said head, resilient means compressed between said friction member and said spring seat means, and means integral with said friction member extending through said resilient means and spring seat means and directly engageable with said pivot member for preventing lateral movement, and limiting rotation, of said head on said pivot member, said means and friction members being movable in accordance with said head.

12. In a brake assembly, a brake head, a hanger, a brake beam having a cylindrical trunnion extending through said head and hanger and pivotally interconnecting the same, spring seat means on said head, friction means on opposite sides of said trunnion, each of said friction means comprising afriction member in complementary direct engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said trunnion outboard of said head and having a portion thereof extending through an adjacent spring seat means, and resilient means compressed between each spring seat means and friction member, said friction means being movable in accordance with said head.

13. In a brake assembly, a pivot element, a brake head pivotally mounted on Said element,

spring-seat means on said head, friction members in complementary engagement with a cylindrical perimeter of said pivot element outboard of said head and each having a portion extending through said spring seat means, and resilient means sleeved over said portion and compressed between said member and said spring seat means, each of said members having means integral therewith cooperatively and directly interlocked with said pivot element outboard of said head for preventing lateral movement, and limiting rotation, of said head on said pivot element.

14. In a brake head assembly, a pivot member, a brake head member pivotally mounted thereon, and friction means for controlling relative pivotal movement between said members comprising a pair of frictiondevices disposed outboardly of said head member, each of said devices comprising a friction shoe engaging the pivot member, means carried by the shoe and engaged with said pivot member for limiting outboard movement of the brake head member with respect to said pivot member, means connecting the shoe to the brake head member for movement therewith as the latter pivots with respect to said pivot member, and spring means reacting against the shoe and brake head member for urging the shoe into frictional engagement With the pivot member, the shoes of respective devices engaging the pivot member at substantially, diametrically opposed points about its perimeter to balance the reaction of the spring means of respective devices and thereby prevent tilting of the brake head member.

15. In a brake assembly, a cylindrical pivot member, a'brake head pivoted thereon, springactuated friction means disposed at diametrically opposite sides of said pivot member and including a pair of friction members in complementary engagement with the cylindrical surface of said pivot member outboard of said head, spring seat means on said head, a pair of boltlike elements each extending through its respective spring seat means through one of said friction members and into an elongate opening in said pivot member, and a coil spring sleeved over each boltlike member and compressed between the associated friction member and spring seat means, said springs being under substantially equal compression and holding said friction members against said pivot member under substantially equal pressures and reacting under the same pressures against their respective spring seat means, whereby said head is held on said pivot membe in the plane substantially at right angles to the axial lin of said pivot member.

16. In a brake head balancing device, a brake head, a cylindrical pivot element extending through said head, a friction member in complementary engagement with the cylindrical perimeter of said element, spring seat means on said head, and resilient means compressed between said spring seat means and said friction member, said friction member comprising means extending through said resilient means and said spring seat means and other means extending within an elongate transverse opening in said pivot element.

17. In a brake head assembly, a pivot member, a brake head member pivotally mounted thereon, and friction means for controlling relative pivotal movement between said members comprising a pair of friction devices disposed at the outboard side of said head member, each of said devices comprising a friction shoe engaging the pivot member, an interlocking element connected says-4522 123:

tothe shoe'andreceived within anae1'ongated* opening? in said pivot member for limiting out boa-rd movement of the headwitb respect tothe pivot member, said element being eng'ageable with opposed margins: of said opening to limit fiivotalm'oveinent of the brakehead zmember on said pivot member; means connectifig-theeshoe to the brake headmember 'for movement-there with as the latter riivots with respect. to said p'ivot'nie'mber, and springimeans reacting 'betweir the shoe and brakehead-memberfor"urging='the ;shoe into'frictional engagement with-the pivot :member, the shoesof respective'devices being. ehcgaged" with the pivot-member at substantially" diametrically opposedpointsabout its; perimeter.

18; Ina-brake headbalancingdevice, a-brake' head; a cylindrical pivot memberextending through-said head, a plurality of independentfriction means at the-outboard side o'ffsaid head extending through said spring seat-and; resilient means compressed. between saidfriction means disposed at diametrically opposite I sides of said" 'pivot'mernbei and each inclflding a friction e1e= :ment in engagement with the adjacent sid'e'of 'the cylindrical perimeter of said pivot member, :a spring seat-on the head in alignmentwith ,said eIement radially of said'pivot member, andvspring means compressed between theseat' and ;the element urging-theelement against said -pivot member; said friction meansbeingi'airanged, to counterbalance each other; whereby saidhead is caused to be maintainedzin a 'planeisubstantially at right angl'estotheaxis of'said pivot member; 19; A brake assembly: comprising a-pivot meme ber, a brake lie'adimounted thereon; a plurality of friction devices arranged inzcounterbalancing rermeans engaging" the adjacent portion of the cylizidrica'l perimeter of the; pivot member, an elongate element'fixed to said friction meansand and said seat.

WALTER L. SCHLEGEL;:JR:

REFERENCES of iriiii The following references are of" record in the" file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

